CoCo meets on Mon, July 21

CoCo's next meeting will be on Monday, July 21, 2008 at 9:30am (alternate time: 1:30pm) at the Coastal Resources Management Office (conference room, 2nd floor) .

Draft Agenda items:
IYOR – upcoming events

• Sept/October 2008 - Scavenger Hunt
• October 2008 - Right Route #2 (lead by DPW energy office)

Other:

• Tuesday, Sept 16 – International Coastal Cleanup Day
• Increase outreach activities for tinian and rota communities
• Round robin – agency updates/upcoming events.

New Coral Reef Reports

Over the past month DEQ and CRM published an overview of CNMI reefs as a newspaper insert, with reprints still available at the CRM and DEQ offices. Its also available online at www.cnmicoralreef.net. The CNMI MMT has also finalized the monitoring plan for 2008 which is available at http://www.cnmicoralreef.net/rp/pubs.htm.

Meeting Minutes for Thursday, March 6, 2008

We held a coco meeting on Thur, March 6th @ DFW; the following were present:

Teny Topalian, Reina Camacho, kathleen Hermann and Olivia Tebuteb

CoCo welcomed Kathleen; she's the new coral reef fellow stationed at DEQ.

DEQ shared its upcoming events:
1) Cook A Rainbow ~ Cooking from our Reefs – Sat, March 29 @ Sabalu Market, 11am
2) Proclamation – tues, april 1 @ 10am (location TBD)
3) Environmental Expo – Tuesday, April 8 and Wed, April 9 @ Public Library 8am-12pm

Old business
1) Mission, Involvement, Partnership - TABLED (yet again...!)
2) NRM Program – comment period regarding the program scope from CoCo members has expired/completed; the advisory committee is ready to meet and discuss NRM Project Coordinator funding. IYOR – Right Route, draft directive was sent for comment; none were received. Reina will forward to Gov Office.
3) IYOR/Earth Day – Brooke sent her suggestions; no opposition from those present; go Brooke!
4) IYOR/Coral Parade (July 4) – TABLED.

New Biz – none.

Next meeting – Date: Thurs, April 3; time and locaiton will be determined via email

Meeting Minutes for January 10, 2008

CoCo Meeting @ DEQ – Thursday, January 10, 2008


Welcome & Introductions
- reina called meeting to order at 9:10am
- Meeting was attended by Mike Tripp, Teny Topalian, Reina Camacho, Kathy Yuknavage, brooke nevitt, nate Hawley, ken Kramer, Angelo Villagomez


Agency Updates (round robin)
CAP – jan 16-19, 2008 @ PIC, by invitation only, limited to 20pax; must register with Fran Castro, 664-8570 or via email coralreefpoc@gmail.com
DFW – want to know how Invasive species fits w/Micro Challenge? We request a micro challenge mtg update?
Marianas dive – underwater cleanup on Sun, Jan 20th @ Grotto;
Suggestion to promote report violations; 888-4917 (DFW marine enforcement hotline) and increase crime stopper #.
CRM – completed stairs @ obyan beach; access ramp for people w/disabilities.; reviewing 100-500 of CRM regs; will distribute for review to other agencies upon completion of the draft.
RARE – stakeholder meeting, PIC, Jan 24, 9am-12noon. Various representation.
MINA – completed the first phase of the re-vegetation at obyan beach; Executive Director met with teachers of the environmental camp to review lesson plans; MINA will hold camp in 2008.

Old Business
1. IYOR update:

a.) Jan 18 Proclamation
- Manamko – open
- Fisherman – lino olopai & john castro
- Students –
- Reina to do - use mina ‘s email list to publicize; send add’l PSA to newspaper/tv;

b.) Feb 15 Right Route
- CRM & MINA will have a sign u sheet; participants will get pair of zori
- CRM via MINA will purchase 200 pairs of ‘walk it, don’t drive it’ zories to give away to Right Route participants
- CRM is pending approval on the advertisements for magazines & newspapers.
- MINA will publicize event via tv, radio, etc.

c.) April 22 Coral Parade
- no new info from MINA regarding the lead; spoke with Beach Road Magazine
- angelo suggested having a turtle event instead of the reef.
- Mike would like know more about event planning team/budget
- Build a coral reef event @ PDM

2. Review Mission, Involvement, Partnership, etc.
- Forum is an exceptional opportunity, but we are not effective if we do not get all the support or participation
- Invite: dive groups, fisherman (Chinese, Korean, etc.), schools,
- Let’s revisit in April after the above events.

New Business
Outreach Booth, Feb 16-17, Tinian Hot Pepper Festival

Next Meeting – Thurs, February 7, 9am, USDA Conference Room

Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 10:35am

Meeting Reminder

There will be a CoCos meeting this Thursday, January 10 at 9:00 AM in the DEQ conference room in Gualo Rai.

Protect the Environment while Shopping!

As part of DEQ’s Green Business Initiative, the Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Carmen Safeway Enterprises team up to offer shopping incentives to encourage shoppers to use reusable bags.

This Saturday, December 15, starting at 10 am, reusable bags will be distributed to the first 100 shoppers who purchase $10 or more in groceries.

The reusable DEQ bag promotion is one way shoppers can protect the environment and promote sustainable living by reducing the amount of plastic bags while grocery shopping.

For each time a shopper uses a canvas or reusable bag for their purchases, the shopper will receive an entry form for a chance to win the weekly gift certificate prize, valued at $25.

Plastic bags can last for hundreds of years and many shoppers use 3 or more for their groceries. It’s a major environmental problem when plastic bags end up in our marine waters that eventually lead to the suffocation of marine life and sea birds. On land, plastic bag litter can block drains and trap birds. They also kill livestock. Plastic bags are also commonly found in all beaches on Saipan, Tinian and Rota. The bags end up in landfills and emit harmful greenhouse gases.

Join the movement to protect our islands’ natural resources. Reducing one’s contribution to plastic-bag pollution is as simple as using a cloth bag (canvas).

For your next trip to the grocery store, BYOB!

CoCo Meeting Minutes for December 5, 2007

CNMI Organization for Conservation Outreach
Wednesday, December 5, 2007 9am @ DFW

MEETING MINUTES by Reina Camacho

Welcome:
Reina Camacho called the meeting to order at 9:05am.

Attendees were: Mike Tripp (Marianas Dive), Teny Topalian (NOAA/DFW), Nate Hawley (DFW), Lee Bowen (NMCCREES), Reina Camacho (DEQ), and Fran Castro (CRI program).

Agency Updates (round robin)

Marianas Dive – performed underwater cleanup at Sugar Dock on Nov 18; will present at the Saipan Chamber of Commerce monthly meeting today at 11am at Hyatt Regency; will hold monthly meeting tonight at Porky’s at 6:30pm; will hold social gathering aboard the Jade Lady III, $30 on December 15th;

Fish & Wildlife – BTS program working group reestablished to reduce risk of species introduction via transportation

Environmental Quality – EPA will be on island until Dece 14th to conduct program reviews

Coral Reef Initiative – Kathleen Hermann will be the next coral reef fellow and shall start the 1st week in February.

Old Business

IYOR - International Year of the Reef
a. January 18th proclamation – Teny provided draft proclamation for comments and only received feedback from DEQ; teny was asked to finalize it and reina to send to group for add’l feedback.
b. Right Route (ride your bike/carpool to work/school day) – fran has sample PSAs; date moved to February instead of April
c. Coral Parade – planning has not started
d. Bus Stop Murals – Fran inquired whether or not the murals where going to be part of the kick-off in January, but no one knew what the status is. Fran suggested that MINA take lead.

NRM program feedback/comments – comments were received by CRM, DEQ and DFW. Reina was asked to send the spreadsheet to other members.

New Business

CRI management grant 2008/2009 – Fran reported the CNMI submitted a $600,000 pre-proposal grant to NOAA to fund: Ecocamps on Saipan, Tinian and Rota; Support for marine enforcement and continuation of MPA outreach and conservation work; student internships; coral reef outreach/education activities; Talakhaya revegetation, etc. Final grant application is due in February.

10 Year Report – Fran announced that she is seeking information on any projects and accomplishments with regards to coral reefs to report at the next U.S. CRTF meeting in Washington, D.C at the end of February.

Miscellaneous
a. Hollywood Theater Ads – images displayed since July; request assistance from everyone to inform Reina if you see the "Protect Our Reefs" ad.

b. Trash pick up to support NGO cleanup activities – Fran suggested advance written notification to the Mayor’s office; Lee volunteered his truck and trailer.

c. Recycles contest - ongoing; MINA will begin solicitations; there was a request to increase publicity; reina said she already has monthly articles; schools have signed up and attend monthly meetings.
d. Totebag promotion – FYI, ongoing at Joeten supermarkets; will begin at Carmen Safeway within a week or two.

e. COCO improvements/facilitator – request to rotate notetaker just like meeting venue is rotated. Establishing a blog for CoCo was suggested and Fran volunteered to set it up.

f. Partnership/involvement - invite PSS, other groups such as fishermen, divers, etc.